The province has got a housing crisis, and the only prescription is… more mayoral powers?? Allison and Jonathan probe the comically flimsy pretense under which Doug Ford has fundamentally, if casually, reshaped how Ontario’s two largest cities are governed. Because what doesn’t quite kill Toronto and Ottawa, apparently just makes their mayors stronger.
MoreAllison and Jonathan talk with Jacobin’s Luke Savage about why the NDP so often provokes indifference, while its American and British counterparts sometimes seem poised to spark revolution. Might a new leader succeed where Andrea Horwath did not? Plus: The Premier’s new cabinet offers unprecedented representation by members of the Ford family. Because it’s 2022.
MoreThe PCs are up seven seats from last time, and the opposition parties are down two leaders. We were going to record this from Doug Ford’s election-night event, but Jonathan wasn’t allowed in. So he and Allison met up after to talk about life in the Second Age of Ford, and what it means when a vindictive government also believes it’s a vindicated one.
MoreAs Doug Ford campaigns against fumes, his opponents are increasingly running on them. Less than a week away, the election’s outcome is hardly a foregone conclusion, but the Liberals, at least, have reached chicken-suit levels of desperation. Are they telling us there’s no candour available in all of Del Duca’s vista? Also, Allison and Jonathan consider whether Doug Ford has actually “evolved” (he hasn’t) and why the Star’s Queen’s Park columnist is so convinced that he has.
MoreOur election coverage continues into week three. This week, there was a weirdly upbeat leaders’ debate, two party leaders got COVID and several trade unions came out in support of Doug Ford and the PCs. Jonathan and Allison break down what it all means.
MoreOn week two of the election campaign, the dirt starts to surface about candidates, the leaders participate in their first debate and the Liberals release their fully-costed platform.
MoreWag the Doug is going weekly for the Ontario election! On the first weekly Wag, Jonathan and Allison talk about Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca’s Youtube series, Ford’s campaign launch, cringey Star Wars memes, transit ideas and plenty more.
MoreA listener writes in, wondering why she's getting a rebate cheque in the mail right before an election campaign. Jonathan and Allison take stock of everything the Progressive Conservative Party is doing to secure an election victory, from conveniently-timed cheques to a spree of spending announcements. Plus, a special announcement about the show.
MoreIt’s once again that time of year when the stars of Ontario politics come out to — well, not shine, exactly, so much as drably absorb a depressing fluorescent glow. The 3rd Douggie Awards honour the terrible and hilarious developments of the past 12 months or so that made us laugh ’til we cried or cry 'til we laughed. Allison and Jonathan hand out the prizes, and all signs point to a triumphant night for The Power of the Doug.
MoreWhen the trucker convoy cratered Ottawa, Doug Ford hoped he could turn the other cheek. However, when another protest blocked the Ambassador bridge in Windsor, disrupting his beloved supply chain, he declared a state of emergency to make sure Ontario stayed ‘Open for Business.’ Jonathan and Allison discuss what prompts action from the premier and why he’s behaving differently than his federal Tory cousins.
MoreThe Toronto Sun likes to blast the “unelected” public health officials informing pandemic policy in Ontario. But who’s really calling the shots in Doug Ford’s government? Allison and Jonathan look at the sway held by pollster Nick Kouvalis and PC campaign manager Kory Teneycke. Not only are they unelected — they don’t even work there.
MoreIt was only a matter of time before Doug Ford dragged us back into a casino debate. Except this time, it’s not on the waterfront but in your pocket.
MoreWith an election seven months away, Doug Ford’s government has suddenly decided it’s pro-worker. But would any of their proposed reforms actually improve the lives of low-income and gig workers in Ontario?
MoreHow do you put a smiling, election-ready face on a government that’s done little but slash regulations and mismanage a pandemic? That calls for a brand refresh!
MoreDoug Ford used to oppose vaccine passports. Now’s he super in favour. That he changed his mind wasn’t surprising; that he did so before Ontario hit a new crisis point was. With Allison in New York, where she’s coming to love her vaccine passport, she and Jonathan pore over clues as to why Ford reversed himself sooner rather than later. What does it take to change the premier’s mind?
MoreOpened in 1971, Ontario Place was an idealistic effort to celebrate and cement a provincial identity. Fifty years later, and having been left to rot, it’s about to be carved up and privatized by the Doug Ford government.
MoreAllison and Jonathan answer listener questions, such as: Will the government really give a boost to personal-support workers? And what’s the deal with Doug Ford’s brother’s hat? Join them as they venture into the Ford Family Extended Universe.
MoreDoug Ford is getting ready for next year’s election by increasing donation limits, shuffling his cabinet, and overriding the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to pass a law limiting the criticism he’ll face. This sudden bonfire of political capital has our hosts wondering: given the state of Ontario’s opposition parties, just what is Ford so afraid of?
MoreIn Doug Ford’s Ontario, there’s no problem that can’t be solved by giving police new powers. This time, the issue is human trafficking— which, well that makes sense, right? The reality is far more complicated.
MoreWith the pandemic reaching new levels of crisis each day, and public anger at the government rising in proportion, how has Doug Ford chosen to spend his evenings? Fundraising!
MoreThe GTA has become the site of a massive tow truck turf war. Vehicles have been fire-bombed, a law office has been shot up, and cops face criminal charges for their involvement. And the person in charge of reining in the violence and corruption? Doug Ford.
MoreLaurentian University has filed for creditor protection, while a new university opening this fall has attracted just 47 applicants. What is going on with Ontario’s postsecondary sector? And what can the premier’s own brief college experience tell us about his government’s peculiar approach?
MoreIt’s the second annual Douggie Awards, where Allison and Jonathan take stock of all the hilarity and abject horror that was the Year in Ford. Who carries home the trophies for “Best Sycophant,” “Most Surreal Moment,” and the always-popular “Most Blatant Conflict of Interest”? Take a stroll down the shoddily constructed blue carpet and join us as we celebrate the worst that Ontario has to offer.
MoreDoug Ford vowed that those who couldn’t afford rent during the pandemic wouldn’t lose their homes. Instead, he made evictions easier than ever. And now, thanks to online hearings, the bleak indifference of that process is on display for all.
MoreExcept when they’re investigating members of his family, Doug Ford really loves the police. So much so that, earlier this year, when calls for defunding became inescapable, he responded by giving them more money.
MoreTo be caught off guard by Covid’s first wave was misfortunate. To be caught off guard by its second looks like carelessness.
MoreWith large swaths of the continent on fire, we look at how Doug Ford’s government recently took a torch to environmental regulations under the guise of a “Covid-19 Economic Recovery Act.”
MoreFollowing a five-month hiatus, Wag the Doug reemerges into a whole new world...
MoreDoug Ford has been widely commended for his response to COVID-19. Are people just looking for comfort or has the crisis truly brought out the best in the Premier?
MoreA new investigative series about the cocaine smuggling ring inside Vice Media.
MoreThe Liberals are about to choose their next leader; Damian Lewis puts on a fatsuit to bring Ford Nation to the big screen.
MoreAfter a decade of planning and $110 million spent, the Ford Government abruptly cancelled Hamilton’s LRT, leaving empty buildings and questions about the city’s future in its wake. Was it just a line item? Ballooning costs? Or political sabotage in an NDP town?
MoreThe Auditor General has released her annual report, scrutinizing the government's spending on everything from prisons to horse racing. We dig through it to bring you ten fascinating things we learned. And Doug Ford begins his unity tour.
MoreA deep dive into the past, present and future of Ontario News Now, the PC Party's online propaganda outlet. Is it dangerous misinformation or harmless government cheerleading? Plus, is Doug Ford finally playing nice? And do the PCs have their own version of a gas plant scandal brewing?
MoreOur colleagues at COMMONS have a new season of their podcast called DYNASTIES, all about the powerful families that run Canada. Today, we're sharing their episode about the rise of the Fords.
MoreJustin Trudeau won't stop saying "Doug Ford" while Andrew Scheer is going to absurd lengths to avoid acknowledging the Ontario Premier's existence whatsoever. So we take a look at how Doug is playing a role in the federal election.
MoreWhile the public has loudly protested funding cuts to areas like education and autism support, cuts to arts and culture have gotten less attention. So how are the arts doing under the Ford Government? What are they supporting? And what art does Doug Ford actually like?
MoreWith a new Cabinet in place and ongoing allegations of nepotism in the Ontario government, we present to you: The Doug Ford Guide to Management.
MoreTonight, we gather to honour the Doug Ford Government a year into their historic mandate. Our hosts hand out the much-coveted Douggie Awards to those who have shown tremendous achievements in spin, bootlicking and dramatically miming the hunt for beer in convenience stores. Join us for this unforgettable evening.
MoreIn the month since the budget was released, we've gotten a lot more details about the Ford Government’s cuts. The environment has been hit hard. We look at how some of Ford's biggest cheerleaders are reacting. And we find a glimmer of hope.
MoreThe Ford Government's first budget is out. They call it "Protecting What Matters Most." We spend eight hours locked in a room with bureaucrats, reporters and cheap pizza to find out what exactly does matter most to Doug, once you put a dollar sign on it.
MoreAnd the one he fulfilled that blew up in his face.
MoreIs the Ford Government trying to privatize healthcare? Plus, a list of things Doug Ford has broken.
MoreAn old friend of the Ford family has been appointed to head the Ontario Provincial Police, a job many consider him to be under-qualified for. We look back to Doug's history with Ron Taverner, as well as the group of unofficial advisors who surrounded the Fords for years.
MoreWe visit Ford Fest, where people wait for burgers and juice boxes in the dark as a white supremacist takes a selfie with the premier.
MoreDoug Ford won't let some silly Charter get in his way! Just two and a half months in, he's poised to use a rare and extreme measure to win a petty legal battle.
MoreThe Ford Government just lost their first lawsuit. What makes it even worse is they lost to Elon Musk.
MoreWelcome to Wag the Doug, a pop-up podcast about Doug Ford.
More